All-Motor or Turbo?
 

I think choosing what to install to get power out of your engine is a personal preference, but I'm a little torn between either going (now this is spread over 2-5 years):

A) Headers, cam, internals (would need to do research), full exhaust, tb, intake

OR

B) Full exhaust, tb, intake, internals, turbo, CAI(?)

Now, with gaining power from the motor, I know if I add more hp, that means i'd have to invest in AM clutch, rear end, and internals just so I don't brake / burn / tear / annihilate anything. And with a turbo, since it's forced air (right..?) i have to be careful of the engine's internals... What i know so far are pistons, rods, connectors, sparkplugs(?), gaskets, and... My mind escapes me. (As of right now on Speed HD a foxbody had 6-8lbs of boost + other mods and went 9.41 in the 1/4 mile, lmao coincidence?)

But if one person expert in boosting and another expert in all motor that would be amazing help, even if there were other websites .

And yeah, before all this goes into play I'd be saving for suspension (not dropping it), brakes, rotors, calipers, and especially reliable performance tires for the summer.

I went the head/cam route, and while it's fun, I plan on doing a turbo build in a couple of years. Nothing sounds better than a turbo spooling IMO.

I'd make my friends do a double take if they heard that thing spooling under my hood. VW, MazdaSpeed3, M3.... Lol it'd put them in their place (after i make it handle like a champ)

big cube lsx motor :nod:

big cube..?

lol lots of cubes man. he means a big displacement motor

any good forced induction build will require all the internals of a n/a motor build... just different individual parts designed for boost. unless you are talking about just slapping a turbo kit onto your car with no supporting mods?

the only big thing i suggest, which might not be a big deal because they seem to hold most of their value in resale, is deciding what you want to do before you even start buying bolt on mods. it would make no sense to drop any coin into things like a lid or long tubes, just to have to take them back off if you decide to go turbo.

you shouldnt even have those cars on your radar while your car is stock...with the exception of the m3, which doesnt really fit with the other two

like mike said, a quality turbo build will need all of the internal work done and be very pricey. a heads/cam or cam only car could stay on stock internals with upgraded valve train and basic bolt ons and be plenty fun.....and still expensive :)

haha... so going turbo or headers & cam is something to think about. Sooner or later when I get a few grand I want to look for high-flow cats, custom mandrel bent 3" y-pipe (maybe x..?), and resonator tips. ;) i like the whole sleeper scene when it comes to showboating :)

EDIT: cuz I just don't like being loud and obnoxious unless im pushing 400+ to the wheels, and using all 400 :P

wait. you DONT want to be loud and obnoxious, but you WANT a x-pipe? :rofl:

yeah i thought an X-pipe, since the chambers cross into each other, the sound would cancel out and become quieter than a Y? Or is the Y pipe actually quieter in comparison?

considering there are no xpipes that work with cats or factory style exhaust, it would take a TON of money and custom work to make one be quieter than a y setup

No offense, but it seems like you really should do a lot of reading before you spend a dime.

If the car is stock, I would recommend thinking what you really want from the car. Forced induction is not cheap, and yea sure you can sneak by with an Ebay hotside, ebay turbo but your engine won't last as long as a properly built setup.

Then, is the rest of the car built to handle that HP level? Trans capable of holding big clutch dumps? Stock ten bolt?

Suspension properly setup to plant the power?

I will be the first to tell you, even a mild heads/cam car without the ability to hook, will suck driving... :|

Understood. Which is why before I do anything serious to the engine for HP gain, I'd be sure to replace the clutch, rear end, and full out suspension. One thing I want to be sure of is me being in control of the car, which also means racing school and counter steering practice, etc.

This was just an idea thread for when I actually am able to put serious coin into my car :)

i also dont want a camaro ss to be wrapped around a pole... my uncle david died @ 17 cuz he was illegally street racing in his camaro. I don't wanna repeat history

my car is a cam only for the most part, and more obnoxious than you can imagine, and has an off road y pipe will full exhaust, anyways..

to break it down even more lets look at it this way...
to get the most potential out of each setup, power AND reliability wise, both builds will require upgrading a majority of the parts. Like mike said, what motor you build will determine what specs you get for those said parts.
-Both motors will require stronger connecting rods and pistons,
-better than stock fasteners like head bolts rod bolts etc.
-both will require a new cam
-both will need a stronger valvetrain, springs pushrods lifters etc
-both will need larger injectors
-a turbo motor you MAY be able to get away with mildly worked heads where a full NA motor would want better heads.
-turbo motor may not need full stainless steel LT headers(na motor could get cheap headers but...)
-both motors could use a worked/ported oil pump

so in the end, there isnt much difference what you may save on heads and headers, youll easily make up with cost of intercooler, turbo itself and the hot side parts.

It comes down to what motor YOU want to have. Either one is expensive when done RIGHT.

to quote what a friend always said... "cheap, fast, reliable... you can only have 2"

Looks like suspension will be the first thing to change. I mean.. The car handles so nicely and sticks to the road better than my sister's rsx & my mum's tsx (i know poor comparison, but still lol i know how they handle)... I just want to ensure my wheels won't skip, aka browse around for wicked good black rims & rubber.

and V... nicely said :) now, off to researching more about an engine's insides!! *runs*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyqYSSUKToA


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...3/HPIM0676.jpg



thats the xpipe that came on my t/a when i bought it. it wasnt really loud or obnoxious and had a nice mellow tone.


but i agree with everyone...figure out what type of PAH you wanna put down, then find the best way to achieve your goals without putting a hole in the motor :nod:

have any other pics nasty? your x pipe looks like a y pipe and then another y split after the mid pipe

You got the $20k + you'll need for all this?

Just what I was thinking. Looks like a double Y

.... when this car is due for a new engine, I should have plenty of money to breathe life into her. :rofl: until then, I'm saving up for a winter 2011 full suspension tune-up. With the parts I've already looked to replace & add I need at least $5k for parts and if I wanna be cautious I'd need to make $7k or more before summer 2011 ends.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...424091724a.jpg



there you go :nod:

How odd. Aside from clearance issues, why'd you bypass the more traditional TD route?

The previous owner wanted a nice tone without the traditional downsides to an X pipe... dumped before the axle smells and is obnoxiously loud.

That style, while heavier, allows for a nice mellow sound and no fumes rotting your brain out at lights.